25 minute read
By Mike Easterling
from HBJ 2022 Issue
Space Command’s Relocation Moves One Step Closer After DoD Report
The decision to bring the U.S. Space Command, and with it Space Force, is getting closer to reality.
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A newly-released report from the Department of Defense (DoD) released a report confirming an investigation into the decision to relocate the country’s space headquarters from Colorado to Huntsville was proper.
This comes despite objections from delegates representing several states who suggested the move was politically motivated.
The Pentagon’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a statement asserting that the decision to move SPACECOM’s headquarters to the Rocket City was justified.
While DoD validated the move based on watchdog reports, a second investigation into the decision by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that the choice of Huntsville was not politically motivated has not been disclosed.
However, local and state officials are convinced the current report practically makes the move official.
“This review confirmed what we knew all along,’’ Madison County Commision Chairman Dale Strong said in a statement. “The process for making this selection was fair and considered many factors – and at the end of that process Redstone Arsenal was always the clear winner for Space Command Headquarters. I hope we can now stop the second guessing and begin the real work to establish this new command here at Redstone.”
The decision to move SPACECOM from Colorado Springs to Huntsville was muddied when thenPersident Donald Trump said on a radio show that he “single-handedly’’ approved moving the space headquarters to Huntsville. The statement didn’t align with reports DoD and Air Force officials.
“Space Force, I sent to Alabama,” Trump claimed in August, 2021. “I hope you know that. [They] said they were looking for a home and I singlehandedly said, ‘Let’s go to Alabama.’ They wanted it. I said, ‘Let’s go to Alabama.’ I love Alabama.”
Military officials had backed keeping SPACECOM in Colorado, but other factors led to Huntsville being selected as the agency’s new home.
“We found that the process Air Force officials used to select Huntsville, Alabama, as the preferred permanent location for the U.S. Space Command headquarters (USSPACECOM HQ) complied with law and policy, and was reasonable in identifying Huntsville as the preferred permanent location,” said the release from the Pentagon’s Office of Inspector General. “We determined that, overall, the basing action process directed by the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) complied with Federal law and DoD policy, and the Air Force complied with the SECDEF’s requirements for the basing action.”
The DoD report, released Tuesday, included a section where the Secretary of the Air Force reviewed “the Air Force Basing Office’s analysis of the criteria of ‘Childcare,’ ‘Housing Affordability,’ and ‘Access to Military/ Veteran Support’ in the final location for U.S Space Command’s headquarters was also included, with Huntsville still remaining the preferred location.
“This is good news and reaffirms what I have already known to be true: that the Air Force selected Huntsville based on merit and that Huntsville is the best place for Space Command to call home,” tweeted U.S Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Alabama).
Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth applauded the report that determined the best site for headquartering SPACECOM was sound and the selection of Huntsville over other locations was justified.
“For the past several years, the Alabama Military Stability Commission has worked hard to make our state the nation’s friendliest and most welcoming for active and retired
By Mike Easterling / Photos courtesy of U.S. Space Command
military families alike,” Ainsworth said. “From professional licensing reciprocity to school choice options to access to well-paying, long-lasting 21st Century jobs, Alabama is continuing to fill the needs of service members and their dependents.”
According to breakingdefense. com, Huntsville placed first in metrics used in different studies that suggested SPACECOM would be better suited “way down south.’’
But, while Redstone Arsenal was picked over SPACECOM’s current home at Peterson Space Force Base and four other finalists, the process might not be over.
Michael Roark, OIG deputy inspector general for evaluations, told Breaking Defense that the OIG did not address the question of where SPACECOM HQ should be based; rather it reviewed the adequacy of the process vis-a-vis Defense Department and Air Force rules, and its implementation.
“We do believe there are some things that need to be finalized,’’ Roark told Breaking Defense, “before the final decision is made.”
If that decision is finalized as expected, construction of a new SPACECOM headquarters at Redstone Arsenal will begin in 2023 pending an environmental study.
Unless the GOA investigation uncovers information to contradict the DoD report the environmental study is expected to be the last step in finalizing the relocation. w
By Dawn Suiter / Photos courtesy of NASA & Sierra Space
It’s official! The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued its long-anticipated license to the Huntsville-Madison County Airport Authority to operate the Huntsville International Airport (HSV) as a commercial space reentry site.
The license will permit the airport to become a landing site for Sierra Space Dream Chaser vehicles returning from future NASA resupply missions to the International Space Station (ISS). The Reentry Site Operator License is valid for five years.
The reentry license application was submitted by Huntsville International Airport in November 2021, with FAA approval contingent upon the outcome of a lengthy evaluation process involving both environmental and safety reviews.
Those reviews revealed that there will be no significant environmental impact as a result of the Dream Chaser’s use of HSV as a landing site. Criteria included air space, noise, historical preservation, wildlife, and impact to waterways within the anticipated reentry trajectory of the vehicle.
The same Final Environmental Assessment findings apply to Sierra Space’s proposal to conduct up to eight reentry operations at the airport between 2023 and 2027.
This accomplishment is a long time coming–the concept of a space vehicle landing site in Huntsville came about in 2014 with a consortium of public and private partners including Huntsville International Airport, Teledyne Brown Engineering, Sierra Space, RS&H, the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce, the cities of Madison and Huntsville, UAH, the Military Stability Foundation, and the State of Alabama.
“We are excited about this next step in landing the DreamChaser in Huntsville and for the possibilities it brings to the science, research and space communities. Going forward, Teledyne will be involved in developing DreamChaser missions that engage the engineers, scientists, researchers, and facilities in the Huntsville area,” said Reggie Spivey, VP of Space Systems at Teledyne Brown Engineering.
The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber identified landing the Dream Chaser as one of three pillars of the commercial space strategy it developed in 2016. Its efforts included the sponsorship of competitions with the European Space Agency, industry and academic workshops, exhibitions at the National Space Symposium and Space Tech Expo Europe, and a panel discussion on microgravity research and development at South by Southwest (SXSW) earlier this year.
“Huntsville has propelled us into another historic first for our state with the award of the commercial space vehicle reentry license for Huntsville International Airport,” said Gov. Kay Ivey. “We appreciate the collaboration exhibited by our public and private partners to make this a reality.”
Mayor Battle sees great potential for scientific advancement as the result of this development: “This decision expands our science and biological experiments in space. We can send projects up and immediately get results upon landing. This opens many doors for our local and national companies in their ability to efficiently conduct scientific experiments in space and react on those findings,” Battle said.
Battle also noted the benefits of its proximity to local university research departments, which will now be able to immediately access experiments returning from space.
Although the obtaining of the FAA license is specific to Dream Chaser, this proof of concept supports other space reentry vehicles, each of which will require additional FAA licensing. Sierra Space has been awarded six missions by NASA to resupply the ISS via uncrewed vehicles and is pursuing the Reentry Vehicle License, which is anticipated to be submitted in June of 2022, with landings beginning as soon as next year.
“This is a significant milestone for Huntsville International and for our community in the pursuit of landing a commercial space vehicle right here in Rocket City U.S.A.,” said Mark McDaniel, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Port of Huntsville/Huntsville International Airport. “That’s going to be an exciting day, not just for the Airport but for the talented and dedicated partners in this effort.”
The addition of Huntsville International Airport as the newest spaceport will bring the national total to 13: Currently, the U.S. has 12 FAA-licensed commercial spaceports in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia.
While it isn’t the first spaceport location in the nation, Huntsville stands out in another way: it has the unique distinction of being the first commercial airport granted an FAA license to land a commercial space vehicle. In addition, it’s one of only two reentry sites in the nation (the other is the Space Florida Launch and Landing Facility (LLF) in Cape Canaveral.
By Dawn Suiter / Photos courtesy of NASA & Sierra Space
The Dream Chaser vehicle will be carried into space as payload on a vertically-launched United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket.
“ULA is proud to be partnering with Sierra Space to launch Dreamchaser on our next-generation Vulcan rocket,” said Dan Caughran, Vice President, Production Operations and Supply Chain. “As the nation’s premier launch service provider with more than 145 launches with 100 percent mission success, we are honored to call Alabama home to our 1.6 million square foot manufacturing facility located in Decatur.”
Because HSV does not support vertical launches, they will take place at another site such as Cape Canaveral. The Dream Chaser will deliver up to 5,500 kilograms of pressurized and unpressurized cargo to the International Space Station (ISS), as well as offering disposal services over the open ocean via a transport vehicle that can separate from the main vehicle and burn up safely in the Earth’s atmosphere.
The Dream Chaser vehicle’s reentry trajectories from orbit will be predetermined, dependent on specific missions being flown.
The vehicle will reenter the Earth’s atmosphere from the south with high atmospheric overflight of the southwestern U.S. or Central American countries before landing at HSV. It will remain above 60,000 feet altitude for the majority of the overflight of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama before descending below 60,000 feet altitude approximately 10 to 20 miles from HSV prior to landing on the 10,006-foot-long Runway 18L/36R, circled in yellow on the aerial image of HSV.
It may look something like a pareddown version of the Space Shuttle, but the Dream Chaser is in a class of its own. Like the Space Shuttle, it’s a lifting body spacecraft with a fixed-wing configuration in which the fuselage itself produces lift, acting as a wing. It is also reusable, able to fly at least 15 missions.
While the Space Shuttle endured 1.7 Gs during reentry, however, the Dream Chaser has a slightly gentler atmospheric entry of 1.5 Gs and is designed for landing on a commercial runway. Also unlike the Space Shuttle, the Dream Chaser has completely autonomous launch, flight, and landing capabilities that do not require a pilot.
Because Dream Chaser carries relatively safe propellant, technicians can approach it quickly after landing. The back of the plane opens, providing rapid access to cargo. This is key for science experiments meant to operate in microgravity, which need to be retrieved as soon as possible for study.
According to Sierra Space representative Alex Walker, the first Dream Chaser, named Tenacity, is an autonomous, uncrewed cargo version of the spaceplane that will fulfill resupply missions to the ISS under its CRS-2 contract with NASA.
A crewed version is currently in the design phase. “Our goal is to build a fleet of uncrewed and crewed Dream Chaser spaceplanes that will transport cargo and people to multiple low Earth orbit destinations, with the ability to land on any compatible commercial runway anywhere in the world,” Walker said.
Huntsville’s future as a commercial spaceport rides on the shoulders of a long history of growth and development. It has undergone major renovation and expansion projects over its more than 50-year history and is the largest cargo-handling airport in Alabama with services to Mexico, Europe, and Hong Kong.
The FAA’s Airport Improvement Program has been instrumental in the growth of Huntsville International Airport, awarding over $135 million in grants for improvements between 2007 and 2016.
In 2018, Senator Richard Shelby announced that HSV would receive a $29.1 million federal discretionary grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation to complete construction of Taxiway “C,” a 10,000 foot taxiway running parallel to Runway 18L/36R. HSV received another $10,426,057 in grant funding for additional runway, taxiway, and lighting improvements in 2019, with work completed on Taxiway “C” in November 2020.
December 2021 brought the completion of a $23.5 million, 2.5-mile runway long enough to allow large cargo planes to depart and land at the airport, making it the second-longest in the Southeastern U.S.
According to its 2020 Master Plan Final Technical Report, Huntsville International seeks to become a major airline hub over the next twenty years. Because the study anticipates significant increase in Huntsville air traffic in the future, the plan includes possible land acquisitions in Limestone County to the west of County Line Road, which will enable the addition of new runways and possibly a second terminal as well as the expansion of all existing runways to accommodate larger aircraft such as the Boeing 747-8.
At the time of the Master Plan’s publication, “Dream Chaser landing site” was just a goal on the airport’s to-do list. Now that it’s becoming reality, its development as a commercial spaceport will open the door to new economic and scientific opportunities for the area, including not just mission support and R&D but also increased tourism to the Huntsville/ Madison area.
“Our community continues to work together to accomplish incredible things, and this is another example,” stated Madison Mayor Paul Finley. w
Local Feature Films Dark Entities and God of Dreams Exhibit Changing Film Industry in Huntsville
By Noah Logan Photos courtesy of Brandon McLemore & Jurian Isabelle
The movie and film industry might not be the first thing that comes to mind when discussing the various thriving industries that are currently shaping Huntsville. But in a city that is often defined by engineers and rocket scientists, a new wave of award winning filmmakers are ushering in a new era for the film industry.
For much of its history, most movies or films produced in Huntsville were either very small or educational in nature. Katherine Johnson, Executive Director of Sheepshed Entertainment, elaborated on this in a recent interview with the Huntsville Business Journal.
“In the North Alabama region, there are probably between a dozen and two dozen feature films produced a year. Almost all of them are in the horror genre because they’re financially cheaper to make,” Johnson explained. “There is a small amount of reality TV like House Hunters and we also have a lot of government training films that get made every year at the Redstone Arsenal.”
She also explained that the reason places like north Georgia, with similar terrain, can get more large film productions is because other states provide many more incentives for production companies.
“I’ve never worked on a feature film in Alabama ever since I lived here. Alabama does not have a good incentive program. The incentives, mostly tax breaks and kickbacks depending on the budget, are much more appealing in states like Georgia and Florida for larger productions,” she informed.
Despite the lack of incentives, Sheepshed Entertainment films around 3-4 narrative projects a year in Huntsville. Their biggest project to date is an unnamed spy sitcom that is currently in post-production. Johnson made eight, thirty minute episodes during the COVID pandemic that she plans to sell to a streaming platform as a platform original.
Johnson won “Best Director of a Short Film” at the 2021 International Christian Film Festival for her film “Choice.” Sheepshead Entertainment also won “Best Fantasy Film” at the 2022 Pensacon Short Film Festival for their project, “The Center of Physical Therapy for Questing Gentlefolk.”
Johnson and Sheepshed Entertainment are not the only Huntsville filmmakers to win awards for recent projects produced in the city. Johnson acknowledges this when expressing her optimism for the Huntsville feature film industry going forward.
“I think it’s already growing. The people who are making marketable feature films that are of high quality and are going to festivals and theatres are on the increase. And the more people we have locally that are able to work on either others projects, the stronger we all get as filmmakers and it benefits the industry as a whole,” Katherine explained.
Huntsville native Jurian Isabelle produced his sci-fi thriller, God of Dreams, in Huntsville and is now getting ready to showcase his project in Miami after being nominated for Best Narrative Feature at the American Black Film Festival. Isabelle can win up to $2,500 if the film wins in that category and is also eligible to compete for the John Singleton Award for Best First Feature presented by Netflix, which offers a $5,000 cash prize. God of Dreams is currently available for viewing on Amazon Prime.
In an interview with HBJ, Isabelle explained why Huntsville’s tradition of innovation lends itself to independent filmmakers to grow and thrive.
“Huntsville is a hotbed of technology and the era of innovation is constantly around us. I have traveled to other, bigger cities to shoot if I really need the location but I love shooting in Huntsville and I’ve never felt the need to leave Huntsville in order to become a filmmaker.”
His words are backed up by the quality of his work. God of Dreams was received positively by prominent movie review websites such as FilmThreat.
In the websites review, they write, “God of Dreams is a low-budget science-fiction indie film worthy of our support as an alternative to the big studio schlock. Isabelle managed to build a world worthy of the genre with basically no money. Isabelle produces some pretty dark and stark images in the end. His messaging is also on point. As an emerging Black filmmaker, he hits on topics of race without ever having to bring it up directly.”
Another feature film that was shot
and set in Huntsville, Dark Entities, is set to premier at Bridge Street’s Cinemark Theatres at the end of May. Directed by Brandon McLemore, Dark Entities is a Supernatural thriller set in Huntsville, Alabama in 1977. It follows three siblings who, after a tragic accident, move into the mysterious home they inherited. They discover the house holds dark secrets that seek to threaten everything they hold dear. Tickets are on sale now for the premiere at Bridge Street on Saturday, May 28th. The main character of Dark Entities is played by local actress Elena Ontiveros, who also played a role in Isabelle’s God of Dreams. She offered her insight on what it was like to shoot two feature films in Huntsville and her thoughts on the industry’s future in the city. “My experiences filming both Dark Entities and God of Dreams were far more professional than one would ever expect coming from Huntsville, AL. Even though I was filming two films that were complicated in the sense that one was a horror film, and one was a dystopian sci-fi film, the atmosphere on both sets was well coordinated and safe, which was huge considering both were filmed during the pandemic,” Ontiveros explained.
She continued, “Dark Entities was a blast because it was all local actors that you’ve seen in local shows filming a horror film with all practical stunts. It was a small, well bonded cast, which is very important since the film centers around a family and their experiences in a haunted house.”
When asked her view on the film industry as a whole in Huntsville, Ontiveros echoed the same opti-
Picture from L to R: Brandon McLemore - Writer/Director, Warren McLemore - Director of Photography, Hailey Beard - production assistant mism that Katherine Johnson shared. “The Huntsville film industry is always growing and evolving. Every single day, I discover a new group in Huntsville that is filming short films, series, or feature films. Huntsville is filled with ambitious creatives who are ready to put it on the map, and I believe we will.” w
Picture from L to R: Jenni Wood, actress playing Doctor MacNeil, Elena Ontiveros actress playing Vera Winters, Hailey Beard - production assistant, Brandon McLemore - Writer/Director
All Roads Lead to Huntsville: The Orion Amphitheater
By Lori J. Connors Photos by Lori J. Connors
Welcome to The Orion Amphitheater: community members, area visitors, and especially lovers of high caliber live music.
In 2018, when the venue group (tvg) met with Mayor Tommy Battle and City Administrator John Hamilton, as part of the submittal process for public applications for a new entertainment venue, the trajectory was yet to be determined.
In review of the past four years, it has been quite an interesting ride in laying the groundwork for The Orion Amphitheater. Once the plans were finalized and sketched out, the path was obstructed by a worldwide pandemic, a globally shared experience. That road is now in the rearview mirror. What lies ahead is cause for celebration, with many amazing live music events to be part of Huntsville’s new future.
As grounds crew members added the final touches in preparation for The First Waltz, the weather was nothing short of spectacular, despite the temperature quickly creeping up into the 90s by midday. By the time the show began, there was a gentle breeze and the temperature dropped just enough to make it a pleasantly memorable concert-going experience.
The ceremonial ribbon cutting officially served as the official kickoff to the big weekend. Along with Ben Lovett, CEO for tvg, and Ryan Murphy, General Manager for The Orion, there was an enthusiastic cadre of media professionals on hand, along with board members, members of the Chamber, local stakeholders, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, and City Administrator John Hamilton.
The First Waltz signifies the grand opening weekend for The Orion. Three days filled with live music and featuring some of the best of the best in local, regional, and national performing artists. Performers include Emmylou Harris, Jason Isbill and the 400 Unit, along with many others.
The Huntsville Classic, featuring Jake Owen served as a pre-test. By all accounts, The Classic, Huntsville Hospital’s annual signature fundraiser was a resounding success. The enthusiastic turnout helped to build groundswell and momentum for The First Waltz weekend.
What has been said before and is now part of public record continues to resonate with Lovett. And it was worth reiterating.
“We worked for about 6 months in 2018 to kind of explain why we would be the right people standing in front of you here today,” said Lovett. “For all of us who have spent many years in the music industry working as promoters, venue managers, festival organizers, artist management, and artists we have found ourselves here. With this unique exhilarating agility to work all of the community that’s hungry to make their mark in the word of culture.” w
By Gus Wintzell Photo courtesy of Progress Bank
After 14 successful years of banking within and around the Huntsville community, Progress Financial Corporation announced recently that the bank was officially acquired by United Community Bank.
This merger agreement, where United will acquire Progress, was executed in an all-stock transaction with an aggregate value of approximately $271.5 million, or $23.52 per share of Progress common stock, based on United’s closing stock price of $30.55 as of May 3, 2022.
Progress Bank, founded and headquartered in Huntsville, has a total of 14 locations spread across both Alabama and Florida, including Birmingham, Daphne, and Tuscaloosa in Alabama and Destin, Panama City, and Santa Rosa Beach along the Florida Panhandle. Each location is strategically focused on a high-growth market located in the southeast.
As of late March of this year, Progress Bank had total assets of around $1.9 billion, total loans of $1.3 billion, and total deposits of $1.7 billion. Apart from traditional banking services, Progress Bank also offers expert wealth management and private banking through Progress Financial Services, a division of Progress Bank, which holds around
$1.2 billion in assets. Currently, United’s total assets are around $24.4 billion with 189 offices in five states. With the merger, United’s overall assets will increase to $26.3 billion, with around 200 offices in seven states.
Led by President and CEO David Nast, Progress Bank has been an active member within the community of Huntsville and a major part of Huntsville’s growing economy over the past few years.
In an interview with the Huntsville Business Journal, Nast confirmed that Progress Bank leadership will be easily integrated throughout the merger process.
“We are very positive about United’s approach about integrating all of our people. The majority of the senior management team will stay on board, and continue to run important markets for the bank. What this does is creates opportunities more than anything,” said Nast.
United brings a geographic model of leadership to their markets. What this means is that Nast will shift to acting as a State President of Alabama, including the Florida panhandle locations. In the same interview with the Huntsville Business Journal,
United Community Bank CEO Lynn Harton urged customers to understand that little responsibility will change with this geographic model.
“It’s just how we do things here at United. It has worked for us in the past, and will benefit both Progress bank customers and employees greatly,” Harton added.
In a statement, Both United Community Bank and Progress Bank urged customers to continue banking as normal.
“The merger represents a market expansion play; there will be little to no overlap with employees and Progress will be able to retain the same faces that have served the Huntsville community for more than a decade,” stated Harton in an interview with the Huntsville Business journal.
Lynn Harton, United Community Bank CEO
According to both Harton and Nast, business will be as usual for customers in Huntsville. Progress will be able to maintain all branches, including the two under construction in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and in Panama City, Florida.
“There will be no impact on customers being served,” added Nast.
When asked about the reason for choosing Progress Bank, Harton argued that Huntsville’s customers and the city’s market were the key factors in United’s decision.
“If you look at United’s expansion, we are trying to build a great bank, and our measures of success are being a great place for great people to work and having the best customer services in any market we are active within,” said Lynn. “What we have tried to do is put our banks within high-growth markets. To put it frankly, it’s easier to swim downstream than it is to swim upstream. And so, we looked first at the markets in Huntsville, Bir-
mingham, and the [Florida] Panhandle. Second, it was the culture. United simply shares a lot of the same banking culture as Progress.” Nast agreed, stating that because the culture and goals of the two banks aligned so well, the transition would be easy from both of the banks’ point of view, as well as for the customers in Huntsville. “The Banks’ cultures are very similar,” said Nast. “None of our lines of business will go away. And, what’s most important is that the transition will be easy on our employees. We believe that, to take care of our customers, we need to take care of the employees. These are the faces that are working with Huntsivlle customers and Huntsville businesses.”
“Simply put, customers bank with people,” Harton agreed.
Apart from familiar faces, the merger also provides added benefits for Huntsville customers. According to Harton, one of the best added bonuses comes from their partnership model used during consultation on the commercial side of banking. Apart from Huntsville customers utilizing the same employees and bank representatives that they have used for years, United offers the ability to add a subject-matter-expert on whatever line of business is being covered. In this way, Progress Bank will offer Huntsville customers the same bankers, and the same experience, with the added bonus to more integrated expertise.
The merger agreement was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both Progress and United, with the merger expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2022.
For more information, or to contact your local Progress team with any questions regarding the merger announcement, please visit https:// www.myprogressbank.com/ w
